Left behind
by Sipetin
Summary: Izo is a poor strip dancer. His brother Thatch has a deadly illness, somekind of cancer and Izo needs to work hard for that money. Yaoi. Fantasy AU
1. Chapter 1

"There she goes!"  
>"Catch her already!"<p>

What was supposed to be calm and boring night, appeared to be less boring and more ruckus than Izo had guessed. He was running away from town's guards who had caught him red handed for trying to steal one townman's wallet. They mistook him as a girl, but it was nothing new to him since he was a cross-dresser and wore make-up all day long. Removing make-up and changing clothes was also very useful disguise, but now it was impossible to do. He just needed to trust in his speed and reflexes.

He managed to climb to roof and get away from guards. He collapsed to roof and panted. When he caught his breath he let out nervous chuckle and rolled onto his stomach, digging the wallet under his kimono and starting to count how much money he had got. Luckily the guy that he had stolen the wallet from seemed to be rich, since there was more than 300 belis at least.  
>Izo mainly worked as erotic dancer at one pub near marketplace, but he didn't get much money from that job, so he had to steal in order to feed himself and his sick brother Thatch.<p>

When Izo was sure that guards couldn't hear him anymore, he dug a small whistle from his pocket and blew into it, making a low tune. Then he just sat down and waited.  
>Soon something could be heard. Something big was moving through the air, it's huge wings flapping on it's sides.<br>Izo calmly stood up and pushed some random hair strands away from his face. Then he placed his hands to his hips and glared at his ride when it finally appeared on front of him.  
>It was huge, night black gryphon with large saddle on it's back. It softly landed front of Izo, looking him like a puppy who had done something very wrong.<br>"And where hell have you been? I've told you millions of times that when I whistle, you come immediately here. I was almost caught by guards!" Izo hissed, mounting his gryphon. It let out quiet whimper as answer, jumping into the air and spreading it's magnificent wings. Izo was finally able to fully relax himself.  
>"Maa, sorry Laboon. I just.. you know that I'm in mess right now. Thatch's condition isn't good and we need fuckloads more money than we now have in order to buy his medicine...", Izo whispered and gently stroke gryphon's black fur. Yes, he was talking to his mount and he felt little bit embarassed by it, but he really didn't have anyone else to talk to. His only family and friends were Laboon and Thatch, since he really had not time to form any kind of relationships to anyone, not even his colleagues in the strip bar. His whole time was reserved to his brother.<p>

It took almost one hour from Laboon to flew to the other side of the city. It was the poorest area of the whole city, known as Thriller Bark. All weak, sick and poor people ended up there. It was place for outcasts. But even though everyone was outcast, no one seemed to befriend with anybody. It was like they had lost their trust in humankind. It was rare that someone walked around Thriller Bark's streets more than once a day, so it was easy to Izo and Laboon to land safely at the front of their house.  
>Izo dismounted Laboon, tied him to fence around their home and wished goodnights for him. Laboon aswered with gentle peck to his master's back, making Izo laugh a little.<br>Cross dresser then rushed into his home, hastily opening the door and stumbling into small living room, where his eyes first caught sight of his brother, who was laying in the couch and looked sicker than ever. Despite his condition Thatch still managed to smile reassuringly to Izo.  
>"Hi... I was starting to worry about you already...", he wheezed and rose from the couch, just to be pushed back by his cross dressing brother.<br>"No worries. Have you taken your medicine?" Izo asked, sitting down beside his brother. Thatch nodded.  
>"Yeah and there is still plenty of it, so no need to stress about money yet", Thatch said, gently petting Izo's skinny back. Izo smiled to his brother.<br>"Good. Though I'm getting rest of the money tomorrow. We only need about 100 beli to buy new dose of medicine."  
>Thatch's eyes widened slightly, but then he frowned.<br>"How on Earth did you get that much money? You did steal again, didn't you Izo?" he asked, accusing tone in his voice. Izo crossed his arms and glared daggers to his brother.  
>"So what if I did? I'm doing this for you, you know!" he snapped back, causing Thatch fall back to his pillows and groan.<br>"You'll get yourself in deep shit! Look, doctors said that I have only 30% chance to survive and I don't want you to waste your life because of me! You could spend that money to new apartment when I d..!" Thatch began, but he was silenced by Izo's hand which slapped his cheek. It wasn't near that usual gentle slap he had used to. It was full of raw "shut the fuck up or I'll kill you" feeling and it indeed made Thatch shut up.  
>He lifted his hand to his cheek and turned his plate wide eyes to Izo and was shocked by the fact that his brother was crying. Tears left dark trails behind them when they rolled down on his cheeks. Thatch immediately felt bad that he had opened his mouth in the first place. He knew what he meant to his only brother.<br>"Don't you ever dare to say that one to me again, Thatch...", Izo sobbed, furiously wiping away his tears and messing up the sleeve of his kimono. "I'm not doing this only for you... I'm doing this for myself too... What would I be without you?"  
>Thatch lifted himself up, wrapped his arms around his big brother and gently pulled him into tight hug.<br>"I know Izo, I'm so sorry...", he whispered. "I was being an idiot."  
>"Glad that you realised it by yourself", Izo mumbled and stood up. "You rest now while I'm going to make some food. Then we both can go to sleep. I need to wake up early tomorrow."<p>

Izo walked to kitchen and started to prepare their meal. They only had nearly spoiled meat and few vegetables, but he was still able to make somekind of meal out of them. He forced Thatch to eat as much as he could and just after that he ate his part. Rest of the food went to Laboon. Izo was tired of mice hunting gryphoon who caused extremely loud noises in the middle of the night, so he had decided to feed Laboon before he went to sleep. And he had indeed lept a lot better when Laboon's stomach was already full before the night.

Next morning started like any other. Izo woke up, dressed himself and put make-up on and then made some hot tea for his brother. Thatch seemed to be better and it made Izo smile. Maybe this was going to be a good day at last. He wasn't late from work, he could finally buy new dose of medicine for his brother and Thatch seemed a lot better from yesterday. He even smiled and made few jokes about Izo's make-up and pink kimono and how he was probably going to be hit by some drunk guards who chased him yesterday. Izo laughed to this, gave a slap to Thatch's head and headed to his work. Even Laboon seemed happier from yesterday. It was full of energy when they flew to marketplace, making it to there a lot faster than it usually did. Izo thanked his mount with gentle kiss on it's forehead before he was off to strip bar, where he was greeted by his boss Bon Clay. Izo greeted back, making his boss quite confused, since Izo usually was the quiet type and never spoke to anyone. But in that day he was able to make some friends before the lunch break even started. He found out that one of his colleagues had lived in Thriller Bark not so long ago and he eagerly started to chit-chat with him.  
>Colleague's name was Portgas D. Ace. He was very muscular man with long black hair and childish freckles decorating his face. He had bad habit to fall asleep during the show, so Bon Clay had moved him to amuse some VIP customers by doing short lap dances to them, mostly to females of course since his manly appearance wasn't easy to hide unlike Izo's.<p>

"Why are you still staying at Thriller Bark? Apartments at North Blue district are kinda cheap", Ace asked from Izo while they were at the backstage, resting before their actual show. Izo smiled sappily to him.  
>"I don't even have that much money... I need to buy medicine for my little brother and that medicine is hecking expensive", Izo sighed. Ace nodded to show that he understood what his colleague was going through.<br>"It's some sort of cancer, isn't it?"  
>Izo blinked and lifted his eyes to Ace, who was silently staring at floor.<br>"My little brother had it too. But he got better in no time thanks to his doctor friend. He's the only one who has medicine that surely cures patient."  
>Izo immediately stood up and stared at Ace.<br>"Can you take me to that doctor?" he asked with desperate voice. Ace shook his head.  
>"I'm sorry, that doctor disappeared a long time ago. No one knows where he is, if he's even alive anymore."<br>Izo sighed and sat down to his chair, burying his face into his hands.  
>"I'm so desperate... Thatch's condition is becoming worse and I can't do anything about it. I feel so weak...", cross dresser sobbed into his hands. Ace leaned forward and petted his trembling shoulders.<br>"It's okay, I know how you feel. But I can almost promise that you'll brother will get better. Medicines are more effective today than they were when my brother was sick", freckle faced dancer said reassuringly, causing Izo to smile a little.  
>"I guess so."<p>

After his work, Izo headed to pharmacy to buy that medicine to Thatch. After that he had enough money to buy some food to them. It had been truly wonderful day. Izo was all smile. He had made a new friend, Thatch was feeling better and he had had enough money to buy actual food, so they didn't need to eat that spoiled meat and vegetables anymore. Even Laboon came immediately when he called it. Izo was sure that nothing could break his happiness now.  
>Oh how wrong he was.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Izo was greeted by omnious silence when he entered to their house. He didn't notice it first at all, but when he shouted his helloes and got no reply, he knew something was wrong. Terribly wrong.  
>"Thatch? I said I'm hom...", Izo called, but suddenly he covered his nose and almost threw up. Living room was occupied with horrible smell of faeces.<br>Izo's heart stopped for a while when information sunk into his brains. When person dies, his body immediately releases faeces...  
>It was like a slow motion in a movie. Izo ran from the entry of the living room to couch just to see Thatch's lifeless body.<br>Izo swore that every fucking emotion in world hit him at the same time. Rage, sadness and he even wanted to laugh to his miserable situation. He finally had gotten the money to buy his brother's medicine and now that bastard died?  
>"Thatch... Cut it off already...", Izo whispered, though he knew that it was in vain. It was only desperate hope from person who was left behind. It all was in vain.<br>His trembling hands grabbed his brother's ice cold shoulders, shaking him. Quiet, nervous laughter erupted from Izo's lips as he continued.  
>"You fucking bastard... You said that you wouldn't leave me alone...", Izo muttered and then information finally sunk in, leaving the cross dresser breathless. His heart suddenly felt so cold, colder than snow in winter. Warm tears filled his eyes and fell down to Thatch's cheeks, splattering around when they did so.<br>Izo's head crashed to his brother's chest where he finally broke into desperate tears, screaming his lungs out.  
>"YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME BEHIND! You fucking swore that you wouldn't leave me behind, that you'd always be there for me! Where are your promises now, you sick fuck? Come back, dammit. COME THE FUCK BACK!"<br>Of course there was no response. Thatch remained silent and Izo cried even more, hugging the lifeless body of his brother.  
>At some point of the night he fell asleep, tears still flooding from his eyes and hands trying to rub some warmth to the body underneath him.<p>

Izo's dreams were far from nightmares. They were very comforting and he wanted to stay there, dream forever about him and Thatch together, what it would have been and what would they have done when Thatch was all healthy again. But his dreams weren't meant to come true and when he woke up he was greeted by smell of death which made him throw up to floor. Thatch had grown a lot paler during the night and Izo was able to see rapidly formed wrinkles around Thatch's eyes. Or had they been there all along? He couldn't actually remember. He hadn't been home much lately because of his work.  
>Work. Right.<br>Izo glanced to their extremely old clock and noticed that it had stopped working. Funny fact, Izo was sure that it was pointing Thatch's time of death.  
>Not really knowing what to do, Izo stood up and decided that he was going to act like nothing was wrong and maybe this all would suddenly end. Thatch would wake up while Izo was working and when he would get home from work, his brother's cancer would suddenly disappear and they could arrange one of their famous drunk parties again. Yes, it was absolutely an amazing plan. This was only somekind of nightmare And he would wake up if he'd got to his work place.<p>

Izo walked to Laboon in somekind of trance. Laboon seemed to understand the situation, since it was as depressed as Izo and tried to rush in once cross dresser had untied the knot around the fence. Izo managed to pull the gryphon back, repeating the same lie to Laboon that he was telling to himself all the time.  
>"It's okay... Thatch's okay. He promised that he wouldn't leave us alone, remember? Good boy, Laboon...", he murmured, trying to comfort the poor creature and failing miserably. Nevertheless he mounted gryphon and they flew to strip club. Izo didn't even notice how they got there. He just stared Laboon's puffy fur in front of him. Gryphon needed to save it's masters life more than twice during their flight to the other side of the city. Not that cross dresser cared much. Everything seemed less realistic now. Even the brightest of colors were now gray and happy chit-chat of people sounded like painful cry to him.<p>

Ace was smoking a cigarette outside the strip club when Izo arrived there. He greeted the cross dresser happily, but got only blank glance as a response. This lack of greeting made him frown in confusion, but he decided to think that Izo was only very tired since he had that brother of his to worry about. He ran after Izo and grabbed him into a friendly hug.  
>"Hey there! You wanna me buy you a coffee or something? You look like you're going to fall asleep in any minute now", he asked with a little teasing tone in his voice.<br>"I'm just fine...", Izo said with monotone voice and struggled away from Ace's arms. "Just fine... Need to work."  
>He then locked himself to his dressing room, leaving confused Ace outside. Freckle faced man rubbed the back of his head.<br>"Are you sure you're alright? Did something happen to your brother?" he asked. Later question caused something crash on the floor.  
>Ace jumped a little, backing off from the door. "Izo? What happened? Are you alright there?" he asked, but when he got no response he made a harsh decision and kicked in Izo's dressing room's door and revealed Izo, who was sitting on the floor, crying his heart out. Ace rushed to him and wrapped his arms around cross dresser's trembling body.<br>"Did I say something inappropiate? I'm so sorry, Izo...", he began, but Izo's sobs just became louder. Ace pulled him closer to his chest, not caring about people who passed the room and curiously looked at them.  
>Smaller man grabbed the front of his shirt and buried his make-up covered face in soft fabric.<br>"Thatch's... dead...", Izo mumbled into Ace's shirt. This sentence made Ace's eyes widen. He lifted smaller man to his arms and headed outside. It took some time from Izo to notice this, but in the end he didn't even care about it. Both his mind and body were numb.  
>"What area of Thriller Bark do you live?" Ace asked.<br>"Caranteen area... At house number 11", Izo quietly replied, "why do you ask?"  
>"You're totally not going to work today. And I guess you didn't have enough strenght to do anythign to your brother's body. I'll take you to your home and take care of Thatch's body."<br>Izo blinked. "What are you going to do to it?"  
>"Burn it."<br>"What?"

Izo jumped from Ace's arms and fell to ground. Sudden contact with hard ground made his ass sore, but he did barely notice it. Had he heard right?  
>"You're not going to touch my brother's body", Izo said, "I can take care of it by myself, thank you very much."<br>"How can I put this...", Ace asked, rubbing the back of his head, "Burning is the only way to get rid of the body and the disease. If you don't burn it, it might infect you too. And you saw how painful it could get, right? I bet you don't want to meet the same fate."  
>Izo's anger was replaced by fear when he heard those words. It was true, he really didn't want to meet the same fate as his brother. It was painful enough to watch it, so Izo didn't even want to imagine how horrible it was to actually carry the disease and live with enormous pain.<br>Cross dresser felt how he was going to faint soon. Ace noticed this.  
>"Don't worry. I'll catch you and I'll carry you to your house. Your safe with me."<br>"Thanks... that would be great..."  
>Before Izo fell in comfortable unconciouness he felt how he was catched by two strong arms.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

There was faint scent of burning flesh in the air. It was the first thing that Izo noticed when he finally regained his conciousness. At first he thought that Thatch was just failing to cook some food again as usual, but then pain hit his heart. Memories flashed through his mind. Thatch was dead. He died yesterday while he was off to work...  
>Izo jumped from the couch and fell down to floor. Usually dirty apartment was cleaned and filled with transparent smoke which was floating in from the open window.<br>He opened the door to the backyard and saw Ace who was crouching at the small mound on the ground which was covered in fresh flowers. Farther away was still smoking pile of wood which was the origin of the earlier smell.  
>Ace turned to Izo and smiled comfortably. He stood up and walked to cross-dresser, wrapping his strong arms around him. Izo's body started to tremble against his bare and muscular chest.<br>"It's okay", Ace murmured and strokes his silky strands of hair. "It's okay to cry... It's not sign of weakness, Izo. You've been strong enough."  
>His soft voice caused tears leak from Izo's eyes and soon he was sobbing into his chest. Ace didn't mind this, even when Izo sneezed his nose to his black shirt. He just told him that it was okay.<p>

At some point Izo just simply fell asleep into Ace's arms. Freckle face carried his colleague to couch again and watched his friend's sleep. Few times Izo woke up because of nightmare and Ace was immediately there to comfort and but him back to sleep all over again. He hardly had any sleep himself, but he really didn't mind. He felt somehow responsible for his colleague though they just met few days ago.

Little dragon crawled from Ace's pocket and sat to his shoulder. Ace glanced to it when it gave him unapproving look.  
>"Don't give me that face, Luffy", he sighed. "I can't just abandon him when he is in the state like this."<br>"Yeah but Akainu's going to get your ass if we don't accomplish this mission. I don't want you to get hurt anymore", little dragon whined. Ace chuckled and caressed it's little head gently with his thumb.  
>"I won't get hurt. We already found what he wanted us to find."<br>"But he doesn't like when you're always late... Please, Ace..."  
>Freckle face sighed and stood up from Izo's couch.<br>"Okay... But as soon as I turn my report in to him, I'll come back here, no matter what you or Akainu say."  
>"You care too much about strangers... But it's fine to me, nii-chan."<br>Ace just huffed as he walked out from the Izo's silent apartment, leaving the cross-dresser behind.

At the evening Izo was woken up by enormous headache. He whined silently as he stood up from his couch and rubbed his temples.  
>"I must have fallen asleep... I'm so sorry, Ace...", he hiccuped and glanced next to him where Ace was supposed to be. But freckle face wasn't there. There was just a scrap of paper. Izo reached out to it and read it out loud, since the silence of his apartment was terrifying.<br>_"Dear Izo.  
>I'm sorry to leave you like this, but something came up. I'll be back in two days. Please, do not push yourself too far. I bought some healthy food for you. Keep yourself away from Thatch's grave.<br>~ Ace"_  
>He needed to read the letter few times before it's message finally sunk in. His brains were extremely slow at that moment, though it wasn't surprise. He had faced great shock just less than two days ago. His own brother had died...<p>

Being just half concious, Izo walked to fridge and opened it. Ace had told him that he had bought some food. He had minimazed his words. The fridge was covered in different kind of edible things, starting from vegetables and ending to the bar of chocolate. Izo was sure that he hadn't ever seen this much food in his whole life.  
>Corss-dresser wasn't really feeling hungry, but his stomach and blurring vision warned him that he should eat something or he would die. He hadn't eaten normally since Thatch fell ill. His brother's health had been more important to him than food so he had stuffed every possible crumb of nutrition which he had found from the house to Thatch's throat.<br>But now Thatch was long gone. This all food was reserved to Izo.  
>Somehow he felt guilty for not being able to share his meal with Thatch, but at the same time his heart was more light than when Thatch was alive and ill. He hated to admit it, but sometimes he had just wanted to give up on trying to save his brother. In long run it was very stressing to work almost 247, first at strip club and then in our own home.

Izo wandered that would Thatch be mad if he would hear his thoughts now. His eyes wandered to outside and ended up staring his brother's fresh grave. No... Thatch wouldn't be mad. He would understand. Of course he would probably be hurt, but he would also understand. He had been that kind of person.  
>Few salty teardrops fell to Izo's hand. He smiled bitterly as he wiped them away.<br>"Why...", he asked hesitantly, "why I wasn't able to save you...?"  
>More tears.<br>"Why are you just smiling? This isn't funny you know..."  
>Thatch was sitting opposite side of the table, leaning his cheek to his hand. He was wearing his usual gentle smile as he watched his brother's tears fall down along his cheeks. Thatch just smiled. He did nothing else.<br>Izo lost himself. He grabbed his water glass and threw it violently towards his brother. It went straight through him and hit the kitchen's wall.  
>"HOW DARE YOU TO BE GHOST! Be alive even for a second so I can beat you to death for abandoning me you sick bastard!" Izo screamed, throwing more and more things towards Thatch who did nothing to block them. Why would he since they did no harm to him. He wasn't there anymore. He was in better place, watching over his brother who was now overwhelmed with mental pain.<br>Izo scratched his own face. His sharp nails dug into soft flesh, leaving dripping red marks behind them. He was unable to feel the physical pain anymore. His body was numb once again. He was sure that he could stab himself and he wouldn't even notice it before he was about to die.  
>Suicide.<br>That opinion flashed through his mind more than once, but he didn't even consider it seriously. He knew that Thatch wouldn't allow it.  
>Was he doomed to be alone for the rest of his life now? Thatch was his family, his only one friend.<p>

"Are you blind or what?"  
>Izo lifted his look to his brother, who was now crouching fron of him. His gentle smile was replaced by slightly annoyed expression.<br>"You're not alone. What about that guy who took care of you and buried me? Is this how you show him gratitude?"  
>Izo shook his head obiently. Thatch smiled again and patted his head.<br>"Good bro. I want you to be happy."  
>Thatch faded away, leaving Izo all alone to his quiet home. He was still sobbing a little, but tears were no more flooding out from his eyes. He knew that Thatch was in better place right now and he should feel happy about it. Living with his disease had been hell to both of them.<p>

Izo stood up from the floor. His legs were still somehow wobbly but he was able to drag himself to his bed and drift into warm sleep. He couldn't remember what he was dreaming about, but he woke up in the middle of the night and found out that he was slightly smiling, so it couldn't be that bad dream.


End file.
